Cleaning Staff and Bathhouse Workers in Jilin Province, China Confirmed with COVID-19... Concerns Over Further Spread

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] In Jilin Province, China, concerns about further spread are growing as cleaning staff and bathhouse employees have tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19).

The Jilin Provincial Health Commission (Jilin Health Commission) announced on the 15th that on the 14th, four people who had close contact with existing infected individuals in Jilin Province were newly confirmed positive, and 26 people are currently undergoing treatment for community infections within the province. Among the patients, three are reported to be in serious condition.

Notably, one of the newly confirmed cases is a cleaning assistant who had been working in various locations such as hotels, restaurants, and apartment complexes over the past two weeks.

The authorities in Jilin City raised the risk level of the Chuaning District, where this cleaner resides, from 'low risk' to 'medium risk.'

The Shulan City Center for Disease Control and Prevention has launched intensive tracking investigations on visitors to a public bathhouse near the apartment complex where many initial confirmed cases emerged.

The first confirmed case of cluster infection identified in Jilin Province was a laundry worker at the Public Security Bureau, who visited his mother's home in this apartment on the 7th and had a meal together. It is also known that other initial confirmed cases, including the laundry worker's sister, live in this apartment.

However, Shulan City authorities have not disclosed the reasons for specifically investigating the bathhouse among shops near the apartment. Regarding this, the Chinese media Shenyang Evening News reported, citing local quarantine staff, that "one of the recently confirmed cases is a cashier at this bathhouse."

Local media Xinhua News Agency also cited another quarantine staff member, reporting that "two of the confirmed cases are bathhouse employees, including a cashier and a procurement staff member."

Shulan City authorities have instructed all residents who visited the bathhouse between April 1 and May 6 to report by the 16th and to self-quarantine for three weeks from the date of their visit.

They also warned that if symptoms such as fever or cough appear, individuals should seek medical treatment immediately and that severe penalties will be imposed for failure to report properly.

Shulan City has already been upgraded to a high-risk COVID-19 area, and operations of multi-use facilities such as bathhouses, gyms, tourist sites, and cinemas have been suspended. Jilin City authorities have announced that they will conduct quarantine activities throughout the city as if it were a 'high-risk' area.

Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture in Jilin Province has decided to postpone the scheduled return to school for first-year high school students on the 18th.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.